Catch up with Janelle Monáe, Cardi B, and the rest of this year's Grammys performances
Aux Features MusicNot watching the 2019 Grammy Awards live? We get it. We really do. But there’s one downside to deciding to do literally anything else besides watch the Grammys, and that’s not being able to follow what everyone is talking about on social media. You can catch up with the trending performances from this year’s Grammys below.
Janelle Monáe was at her pansexual art-funk best performing the Prince-influenced “Make Me Feel” in front of a cadre of dancers in latex Addicted To Love onesies and the famous pussy pants from her “Pynk” video. At one point, Monáe yelled out, ““let the vagina have a monologue!,” to give you a general idea of the energy in the room.
National treasure Dolly Parton was the subject of a musical tribute early on in the show, and she came out on stage accompanied by Best Country Album winner Kacey Musgraves, her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Maren Morris, and Little Big Town for a medley of hits that included “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and a cover of Neil Young’s “After The Gold Rush.”
Best Rap Album winner Cardi B was channeling Parisian luxury both in the Birth Of Venus gown she wore on the red carpet and the Josephine Baker-inspired bodysuit she wore on the Grammys stage—both vintage Thierry Muglier, if you’re interested in that kind of thing—but the most decadent moment of the performance came as a cameraperson panned to Cardi B’s (now apparently on-again) husband Offset clearly enjoying the show.
Host Alicia Keys rolled out two grand pianos for her performance, a medley of everything from Drake to Kings of Leon, Coldplay, and Chicago rapper Juice WLRD that fit nicely into Keyes’ encouraging, positive “cool music teacher” vibe.
Lifetime achievement award winner and legendary Motown diva Diana Ross’ birthday is March 26, for the record.
Ever had a dream about kissing your twin? Then you’ll love the electric energy between St. Vincent and Best New Artist Dua Lipa performing St. Vincent’s “MASSEDUCTION” and Lipa’s “One Kiss” on the Grammys stage.
Other performers at the 2019 Grammy Awards included an Aretha Franklin tribute from Yolanda Adams, Fantasia, and Andra Day; Lady Gaga; Brandi Carlile; Camila Cabello; H.E.R.; Travis Scott; Chloe x Halle; Kacey Musgraves; Post Malone and Red Hot Chili Peppers; Dan + Shay; Shawn Mendes and Miley Cyrus; and a Motown tribute featuring Jennifer Lopez, of all people.
We’ll update as new videos of Grammys performances become available.
28 Comments
You forgot to include Jimmy Carter’s performance at the Grammys:
Carlile*
Thank you for posting these, Katie. I wasn’t able to catch it live.:)
No!
Prince-influencedThat’s a nice way of saying she made a Prince song and didn’t bother to even shout him out in it.I know this was all “GIRL POWER!” (except conveniently and hypocritically when people like Travis Scott, Drake and Mac Miller are getting applause and screams) but she could’ve still given credit where it’s due.
I’m not sure if you mean shouting him out in the song itself or at the performance?Hypothetically Prince contributed to the track himself (I’m not really clear why Prince’s DJ would then delete the comment affirming that but she’s gone on record citing him as an inspiration/mentor). https://www.avclub.com/so-thats-why-janelle-monaes-new-single-sounds-so-much-l-1823337068
Not sure how she was supposed to shout out his name during the performance, I think the pose at the beginning was kind of a shout out, but the song was literally partially written by Prince and she has credited him for making the riff. She also has mentioned it in interviews, etc, saying that she was working with Prince on the album before he passed away. So credit has definitely been given to Prince and his influence on both the track and the album as a whole.
I think one of the most impressive aspects of the Janelle Monae performance was how seamlessly they took the guitar away, took the mic away, and handed the mic back to her, all in the series of the dance moves. Almost like a magician.
Between the guitar, the outfit, and the beat of the song literally created by Prince, I can see why she was his protege.
Can we fast forward 2 years to when no one cares about Cardi B anymore?
Expect to be disappointed in two years
Probably. Still. Dare to dream.
lmao okay
How is playing two pianos different than playing one piano? You don’t have to touch all 88 keys to play the piano, and either way, both of your hands will be on at least one keyboard, largely moving independently of one another. It seems like people are freaking out because she played with her hands at her sides as opposed to her hands being in front of her body. I guess it’s a little awkward, but I would think somebody who knows how to play the piano could work on it for about a week or two and have it down.I don’t know, it seems less impressive the more I think about it.
Motherfucker, can you play ONE piano while you’re talking shit?
I can’t play any pianos. I don’t see how placing two hands on two keyboards is different from placing them on one big keyboard.But I can type. If you offered me two computer keyboards that were hooked up to one monitor and said one was for my left hand and the other was for my right, I could make it work. It’d take me a few hours to feel normal, but if you told me I had to do it on national television, I would practice and nail that two keyboard demonstration.
As someone who has played piano since the age of eight, I can say wholeheartedly that it’s impressive. It’s not close to impossible or anything, but that would definitely be challenging.
I’m going to guess you sit stone silent while everybody shouts at professional athletes during sporting events.
Nope. I talk loudly through everything-concerts, movies, sex, sleep… It’s great at parties.
touché.
For a good musician, it really isn’t a particularly big deal. Back in the 70s when they had to have banks of keyboards to play various synthesizers, virtually every band had somebody going at it like that…and I don’t think not being able to do it yourself should stop anybody from pointing out that it’s not THAT outrageous an ability.
Yeah, I feel like I’ve seen dozens of old videos where some guy was wailing on 3 or 4 different keyboards at once. Granted they weren’t singing and it was in a supportive role, but I don’t think this is very earth shattering stuff.
The reason they had to do it back then was you had to program sounds into synthesizer keyboards individually. You couldn’t just push a button and change them. So some bands had five or six keyboards up there at once, just to play a handful of songs! (It took Pete Townshend months to program the synthesizers for “Who’s Next,” although he did a slamming job of it.)
Sometimes things are just cool and you don’t need to make a big thing about it
I need a new TV. Mine melted from the inside out during the Dua Lipa/St. Vincent duet.
Caption Contest:“I once caught a fish THIS BIG!”
I thought we already let the Vagina have a series of monologues.
When Monae appeared on the scene, she was scintillating, because she didn’t bow to the all too common trope of the overly sexualized, tramp/slut female archtype.Her 40’s look and style. Sexy without being slutty, playful and woke—insisting that we listen to her music and consider her message—without viewing her as tits and ass through a sheer pair of short shorts.I always viewed her as groundbreaking, just for the fact that she eschewed the easy and boring act of “tarting it up,” and asked us to, instead view her as a musician, artist and dancer that didn’t sell her soul out to the superficial, prurient industry that demands sex and sexual subversion in image and content.I understand she’s going after the whole Prince vibe—out of respect, of course, but with her talent and explosive ability to entertain—she didn’t need to tart it up. I think her management probably had their own greed in mind when they advised her to “go slut.”